Air pollution increases the number of heart attacks

A study published by the Spanish Society of Cardiology and the Spanish Heart Foundation, in which Sanitas has participated, has shown, for the first time in all of Spain, that Exposure to air pollution is associated with an increase in the number of heart attacks and mortality for this reason during the hospital admission.

Specifically, it maintains that exposure to concentrations greater than 25 micrograms of contaminating particles per cubic meter increases the risk of death by 14% among people who have been admitted to hospital for a heart attack.

For this reason, Sanitas points out that the active mobility in cities it offers a double benefit, it is a sustainable form of transportation that improves the health of the environment in which we live, while being a way of directly improve health of the people.

“Incorporating physical activity into daily trips has a direct impact on the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, obesity and type 2 diabetes. We are not just talking about a means of transportation, but about a preventive public health strategy that helps reduce the incidence of chronic diseases and improve the quality of life of the population“said Dr. Sonia Gutiérrez, vice president of the Sanitas Research and Innovation Foundation and one of the authors of the study.

Added to this evidence is the warning from the World Health Organization, which identifies the sedentary lifestyle as one of the main risk factors for premature mortality. Beyond disease prevention, introducing active routines such as walking to work or school, or cycling, provides additional benefits such as strengthening the immune system, optimizing respiratory capacity, improving sleep quality and contributing to stress reduction.

In this context, Sanitas highlights the report Influence of the urban environment on people’s healthprepared by the BIOMA Institute within the framework of the Sanitas Health and Environment Chair of the University of Navarra. The document analyzes how the forms of sustainable mobility impact on the health of citizens in these two areas, both directly (on the personal health) and indirectly (on the environmental health).

Among the studies compiled in the report, information provided by World Heart Federationwhich quantifies this direct relationship of sustainable and active urban mobility. Thus, he maintains that walking or using the bicycle in daily trips thanks to the moderate exercise it entails could reduce deaths linked to cardiovascular diseases by up to 11%one of the main causes of mortality in the world.

Sanitas emphasizes that the positive effects of active mobility allow transform the urban environmentsince reducing the use of private cars allows us to achieve benefits such as less air pollution, urban noise reductionand decrease in traffic and road congestion.

“When we talk about sustainable mobility we are not only referring to a change in the way we move, but to a profound transformation of the city“explained Jesús Miguel Santamaría, director of the BIOMA Institute and the Sanitas Health and Environment Chair at the University of Navarra.

“Walking or cycling favors people’s health, but also promotes cleaner, quieter cities with better utilized spaces. These types of measures help reduce the environmental footprint, mitigate the effects of climate change and create more habitable and equitable urban environments for all,” he concluded.